Vacuum regulating device



Oct. 16, 1934. F, Y s ET AL 1,977,116

VACUUM REGULATING DEVICE Filed March 23, 1952' 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Oct. 16, 1934- F. E. DAYES ET AL VACUUM REGULATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 23, 1952 Patented Oct. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,917,113 VACUUM BEGULA'I'ING nmcn tion of Delaware Application March 23, 1932, Serial No. 600.894

11 Claims.

This invention relates to valves for regulating the vacuum conditions in the intake and cylinders of an internal combustion engine. With regard to certain more specific features thereof it relates to automatically controlled devices for reducing or obviating exhaust fumes which ordinarily result from extreme and unnecessary low pressures in the engine intake and cylinders.

According to prevailing forms of present day engine construction particularly of the gasolinefuel and electric-spark-ignition type used in auto trucks and busses, certain periods occur in the normal operation of the engine when the vacuum in the cylinders and intake manifold is unduly 15 increased. For example, when the engine is running under load and the throttle is suddenly closed to idling position in preparation for a gear shifting operation, unnecessary low pressure is developed owing to the restriction of the air inlet and the retention of high piston speed under propulsion of the pistons by the vehicle. In travel of the vehicle on a down grade with the throttle closed or nearly closed the load drives the engine pistons at high speed with restricted air inlet, setting up a high vacuum in the intake manifold and cylinders. This tends to draw unneeded gasoline or other liquid fuel from the carbur'etor, but more particularly and more serious in its smoke creating effect, it lowers the pressure in the cylinders to the point of allowing lubricating oil to pass by the pistons and be ejected in the exhaust in raw or partially combusted condition.

Other operating conditions such as starting of the engine may so relate the regular air inlet to the piston displacement that unnecessarily low pressures obtain in the cylinders. Varying temperature conditions may cause varying pressures. Owing to the numerous factors which may contribute to the undesirable low pressure condition, devices which depend for their effective operation on manual control or devices which are controlled in their operation by the mechanical return of the throttle to idling position or which depend on predetermined engine speeds to establish or interrupt an electric circuit are unsuitable. The present invention has for one of its objects therefore to provide a simple and effective valve for admitting outside air or gas to the engine intake, the operation of which valve is controlled by the actual agency it is intended to modify, in other words to provide a valve for increasing the air. pressure in the intake which is caused to operate automatically by a decrease 5 in air pressure in the intake.

Another object is to provide an air inlet valve which having been opened, as above stated, is insensitive to slight variation in vacuum conditions in the intake but will close automatically on a substantial rise in air pressure in the intake.

A further object of the invention is to provide a secondary air inlet valve under control of the movement of the first said valve whereby air is admitted to the idling passage in the carburetor to break the suction, thus reducing the amount of liquid fuel drawn from the idling jet.

Another object of the invention is to provide extremely simple and dependable automatic vacuum-regulating means controlling the supply of outside air through passages communicating directly with the branches of an intake manifold and which means is not governed in its operation either by the position of the throttle or the speed of the engine but is operated in response to air pressure conditions which may be brought about by change either in the throttle position or in the engine speed, or both.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out particularly hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists of the various features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified by the. construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims. In the drawings wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the improved vacuum regulating device.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view indicating the arrangement of the parts shown in Fig. 1 with an internal combustion engine.

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the main regulating valve and directly associated parts, the valve being shown in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the valve and associated parts shown in open position.

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the de- 100 vice shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, an internal combustion engine is indicated at 10 having a carburetor 11 and an intake 12 comprising manifold branches 13 on opposite 5 sides of a hot spot box 14, the manifold branches communicating with the engine cylinders in accordance with standard construction for the purpose of delivering fuel comprising gasoline or like liquid fuelmixed with air and'drawn from no the carburetor 11 to be delivered into the cylinders through the usual intake valves.

The present improvements are shown clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings as comprising two valves 20 nnd'2l respectively. The valve 20 is controlled directly by the vacuum conditions in the intake and the valve 21 is a magnetic valve arranged in an electric circuit with the storage battery of the vehicle and controlled in its operation by the action of the valve 20 closing a pair of contacts 22 to complete an electrical circuit which will be described more in detail hereinafter. The main valve 20 for opening the intake to an auxiliary or outside air supply comprises a conduit 25 having its upper end piped to opposite branches of the manifold on either side of the hot spot box as indicated at 26 and 27. Its lower end is equipped with a curved pipe 28 which contains an air filter of any suitable form. A panel 30 is attached to the conduit 25 and a shaft 31 passes diametrically through the conduit and through the panel at the lower end and has a butterfly valve 32 arranged within the conduit. Mounted on the panel is a cylinder 40, the upper end of which is piped as indicated at 41 to a point of communication 42 with the intake manifold of the engine. A piston or plunger 44 is arranged in the cylinder 40 and is connected by a link 46 with a lever 47. The lever is fixed to an extended end 48 of the shaft 31 and has a short arm 50 extending beyond the shaft which carries a pin 51 connected by a coil spring 52 to an adjusting bolt 53 threaded in a lug 54 extending from the panel 30. A pin 55 extending outwardly from the panel 30 limits the pivotal movement of the lever 47 in one direction and an adjusting screw 56 threaded in a lug 57 extending outwardly from the panel 30 limits the movement of the lever 47 in the opposite direction. Lubricant is supplied to opposite side bearings 60 for the shaft 31 through pipes 61 communicating with an oil cup 62.

The operation of the main valve is as follows. When the vacuum in the intake manifold sufiiciently increases, outside air pressure on the end of piston 44 will force it into the cylinder overcoming the action of spring 52. This retates the lever 47 and shaft 31 to which it is fixed and turns the butterfly valve 32 into open position. In this movement the short arm 50 of the lever swings the pin 51 to which the spring 52 is connected nearly to dead center position with the pivot of the lever and the opposite end of the spring where it is attached to the adjusting belt or screw 53 (see Fig. 4). This so decreases the leverage that the effectiveness of the spring to return the lever is dissipated, which 7 requires then a substantial disturbance in relation between manifold air pressure and outside air pressure before the piston is urged in the opposite direction. In this manner the main.

valve when once operated to admit a substantial quantity of outside air is rendered insensitive to slight lowering of the vacuum in the manifold and not operated to closed position until the vacuum has severely dropped.

As the piston moves inwardly in the cylinder 40 the lower end of the lever arm contacts with a spring arm '70 carrying one of the electrical contact points 22 heretofore mentioned urging the contact point into engagement with the other contact point 22 on a spaced spring arm '71. Both of these arms are arranged on. opposite sides of a block or lug '72 which projects outwardly from the panel 30. An electric knife-switch '73 or other suitable control device is arranged in the electric circuit so that the magnetic valve 21 may be placed in operation or not, as desired. This valve comprises a conduit which is threaded into the carburetor to communicate with the idling passage therein. It is normally closed by a steel check ball 81 resting on a valve seat 82 below lateral passages 83. The ball is influenced by a core 84 arranged within an electro-magnetic coil 85 so that when the main valve is operated and the electric circuit closed by the contacts 22 the coil 85 is energized lifting the steel check ball. This allows outside air to pass through the lateral passages 83 and conduit 80 into the idling passage of the carburetor, destroying the suction and overcoming any remaining tendency of the engine to draw liquid fuel from the carburetor. An aluminum disc 86 is placed between the end of the core 84 and the ball 81 so that upon breaking the electric circuit the ball will not be held by the core.

The spring 52 is so designed that when the throttle is opened and the balance of pressure reversely disturbed, the spring will return the lever 47 against its stop 56, closing the butterfly valve and opening the contacts 22 allowing the ball valve to seat and close the conduit 80 to the idling. jet of the carburetor. This is due to the fact that the opening of the throttle causes a sharp rise in air pressure in the intake manifold. Until such sharp rise occurs the spring in its shifted position is not strong enough to return the valve from the stop-pin 55.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described herein as an attachment to the engine it is obvious that some of the elements are capable of inclusion in the original design of engine manifold or carburetor, or both. In its preferred form the invention is devoid of complicated air valves and controlling apparatus and works simply and directly from the manifold. Other devices for regulating air conditions to compensate for high vacuums have highly involved systems including several valves, suction chambers, manually actuated devices, and other instrumentalities which cause their rejection by the industry.

Fuel economy is an important advantage'resulting from the invention, which is directed primarily to the elimination of objectionable exhaust fumes. It has been observed that the main valve and its actuating devices constitute a highly useful and effective vacuum regulating means in and of themselves without the magnetic valve. The latter, however, has a definite assisting function and insures the breaking of the vacuum at the idling jetpreventing needless consumption of fuel.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, a cylinder which communicates with the engine intake, a piston springheld outwardly in said cylinder and having a lever, an auxiliary air supply conduit having a throttle valve therein which is connected to the lever, an air supply pipe communicating with the carburetor, an electrically controlled valve in said pipe, and an electric circuit having a make and break device controlled by movement of said lever.

2. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, an auxiliary air supply conduit communicating with branches of the intake manifold of the engine, a valve in said conduit, an actuator for said valve comprising a cylinder connected to the intake, a piston in said cylinder,

a pivoted lever for operating the valve, said lever having one end portion connected to the piston, and a spring connected to the lever and so arranged thatsthe action thereof progressively decreases as the lever is actuated to progressively move the valve to open position.

3. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, in combination with an intake manifold and a carburetor, auxiliary air supply means for the manifold provided with a valve, actuating means for the valve operative in response to variations in air pressure on opposite sides thereof, and auxiliary air supply means for the carburetor controlled by said valve actuating means.

4. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, in combination with the intake manifold and carburetor, an auxiliary air supply conduit connected to the intake manifold of the engine and provided with a valve, valve control means operative in response to variations in vacuum conditions in the intake manifold, and means operative by said valve control means upon increase in vacuum in said manifold beyond a predetermined amount for admitting auxiliary air to the carburetor.

5. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, an air conduit connected to the intake manifold of the engine and having a valve therein, a pivoted lever connected with the valve and operative in response to variations in vacuum conditions in said manifold to shift said valve in the opening direction, and tension means connected to the lever means in such a manner as to tend to retain the valve in closed position and adapted to be shifted by said lever to substantially dead center position with respect to the pivot for the lever upon increase in vacuum in the intake manifold above a predetermined degree.

6. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, an air conduit connected to the intake pipe of the engine and having a valve therein for controlling passage of air through-said intake pipe, a pivoted lever for operating said valve shiftable in response to vari ations in vacuum conditions in said intake pipe to actuate the valve in the opening direction to admit air to the intake pipe, and a tension spring connected with the lever in such a manner as to const htly urge the valve to closed position, said sprin being shiftable by said lever to substantiaily dead center position with respect to the lever p'vot upon increase in vacuum in the intake pipe beyond a predetermined degree whereby operation of the valve to closed position is delayed after admission of air through the intake p p '7. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, an air conduit connected with the intake manifold of the engine and having a valve for controlling passage of air to said manifold, a pivoted lever for operating said valve, lever actuating means operative in response to variations in vacuum conditions in the intake manifold for moving the valve in the opening direction to admit air to said manifold, and spring means connected to the lever to constantly urge the valve to closed position, said spring means being so connected and arranged as to shift to substantially dead center position with respect to the pivot for the lever upon movement of the latter so as to decrease the action of the spring means whereby substantial decrease in vacuum in the intake manifold is required to effect operation of the lever to close the valve.

8. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, a conduit having one end communicating with the intake pipe of the engine, a cylinder to which the opposite end of said conduit is connected, a piston slidable in the cylinder, an auxiliary air supply conduit communicating with the intake pipe, a valve controlling passage of air through said air conduit, said valve being operable to open position by said piston, and spring means constantly urging the valve to closed position, said spring means being so formed and arranged that the action thereof progressively decreases upon progressive increasing opening movement of the valve.

9. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, a conduit having one end connected with the intake pipe of the engine, a cylinder to which the opposite end of said conduit is connected, an air conduit connected with the intake pipe and having a valve for controlling passage of air therethrough, a lever for operating the valve, a piston connected with the lever and operable in response to variations in vacuum conditions in the intake pipe to actuate the valve to open position, and spring means connected to the lever and operative to actuate the lever to return the valve to closed position, said spring means being effective only upon decrease in vacuum in the intake pipe to a degree less than that required to operate said piston.

10. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, a cylinder in communication with the intake pipe of the engine, an auxiliary air supply conduit connected with the intake pipe and provided with a valve, a lever for operating the valve, a piston connected with the lever and operative in response to variations in vacuum in the intake pipe to open said valve, and spring means constantly urging the piston outwardly in the cylinders and so formed and arranged as to be effective to return the piston to its outward position subsequent to operation of said piston only upon substantial decrease in vacuum in the intake pipe below that required to operate the piston.

11. In a vacuum regulating device for internal combustion engines, an auxiliary air supply conduit communicating with branches of the intake manifold of the engine, a valve in said conduit, and an actuator for said valve comprising 8. cylinder connected to the intake manifold, a piston in said cylinder, a lever for operating said valve having one end portion connected to the piston, and a spring connected to the opposite end portion of the lever in such a manner that upon actuation of said lever the spring is shifted to substantially dead center with respect to the lever pivot whereby the action of said spring is reduced.

FRED E. DAYES. JAMES F. CHAPMAN. 

